The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-11
CAsSIUS sIARCELLUS CLAY.
Kentucky ChivaIry in Relief-Strange Mixture
of Bravery Bravado and Childishness.

New York Herald.
Cassius NJ Clay. a Kentucky anti-slavery man
of the last generation who has lived into the
present, has written his memoirs The memoirs
are extremely readable To the men of gen
GRAFTON ago they viii recall many stirring Incl
dents in the anti-slavery struggle; 10 the
younger reader they will present novel picture
of Kentucky. society in the .'old slave times
often amusing, and sometimes disgusting-for
the writer of these memoirs is almost as
frank as that frankest of Italians, Benvenuto
Ceilini. Cassius NJ. Clay's father was helargest
Shareholder in Kentucky Of the plantation on
which Cassius was born he says, Characteristic
ally:
far we know. that ever claimed fee simple III
this soil, as my father the first white man
that ever, by preoccupatlon, and culture and
civic title claimed ownership; the natives have
never assumed proprietary rights in the dark
and bloody ground which was the common hunt
ing place of all the tribes of the surround
ing States"
He adds on the same page.
''As my physical courage and training greatly
aided the higher moral courage which my politi-
cal life demanded, have concluded to give an
account of all my personal encounters from boy
hood.
My reputation as a fighting man. as the
phrase goes, 1 have never gloried in. On the
contrary, is has always been source of annoy
ance to me; overshadowing that to which most
aspred-a high and self-sacrifcing moral cour-
age-where the mortal was to be sacrificed to
the immortal And, after calm review of my
whole life, can truly say that never acted on
the offensive, but have confined myself by will
and act to the defensive"
One of the most famous and heroic feats in
the anti-savery struggle was that which he tells
very modestly in these words:
when John &. Fee maltreated and
driven by violence from preaching near Crab
Orchard, in Lincoln county, because he opposed
slavery, made an appointment to speak in the
same place myself on the slavery issue. Ii we
were not allowed to speak freely according to
our constitutional rights, our whole scheme for
emancipation failed l therefore felt that it was
necessary to set my life upon the cast of the
die. And there, surrounded by armed follow
ers, took the ground which much COM
mented upon and noted in the nation The
legend goes, and was so illustrated by an en-
craving, that placed pistol on the book board
and Bible by its side saying: For those who
obey the rules of right and the sacred truths of
the Christian religion, appeal TO this book; and
to those who only recognize the law of force
here is my Defense laying my hand upon my
pistol. Thus related it would seem that / had
made a prepared and threatened exhibition of
my courage and prowess, when. in fact
exerting all my powers of appeal and argument
to avoid conflict, for such avoidance was vic
tory. Had 1 laid my pistol on the book board
some enemy was most likely to seize II, had
my carpet bag. with my arms and notes, as
usual at my feet unseen, and the Bible on the
board was always left there in the country meet
ing house.
again, the slave power of Lincoln in
meeting at the county capital, Stamford. had